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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25281664">Diamond-ize</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaltwaterJanuary/pseuds/SaltwaterJanuary'>SaltwaterJanuary</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Non-Graphic Abuse, POV First Person, Professional Thief, Running Away, Storytelling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:27:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>736</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25281664</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaltwaterJanuary/pseuds/SaltwaterJanuary</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Let me tell you a story...<br/>Oneshot, told from Rouge's POV about how she ended up with her current way of life.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Diamond-ize</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="xcontrast">
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <p></p>
    <div>
      <p>
        <em>Diamond-ize</em>
      </p>
      <p>I was young once; innocent, lighthearted. Foolish.</p>
      <p>I once let myself believe that it would all work out perfectly- that somehow things would magically fix themselves.</p>
      <p>My mother always taught me to think that way- to believe that there was light at the end of the tunnel. But sometimes you get hit by the train instead.</p>
      <p>Besides, her philosophy left her dead in the long run.</p>
      <p>So I was left with my father. My poor, wicked father.</p>
      <p>He wasn't bad at first. He was nice back when my mother was around- the kind of father everyone looked up to.</p>
      <p>But when she was gone, I guess the last bit of sunshine was blotted out for him.</p>
      <p>We didn't have much money. Less than we needed, anyway. But he didn't really help much.</p>
      <p>He tried to find a job, for the first months. And then he gave up.</p>
      <p>No one wanted him.</p>
      <p>So we had to steal to get by.</p>
      <p>At least, that's what he chose to do. He brought me up in the art of it, told me I was more skilled at it than he was.</p>
      <p>I noticed he was becoming harsher- sometimes he would be verbally abusive.</p>
      <p>It was only the times when I couldn't get enough money for us. That's what he said; but I knew otherwise. We had just enough, but he wanted more than that.</p>
      <p>And he wanted me to obtain it for him.</p>
      <p>I knew this, I knew he was using me.</p>
      <p>But I was afraid to speak up about it, especially the longer it went on.</p>
      <p>There was one time I spoke up, there was one time I told him that we had enough money for what we needed.</p>
      <p>He hit me. I never forgot that.</p>
      <p>I remember crying in my bedroom that night, I remember wanting so badly for my mother to be there.</p>
      <p>I remember cursing my father's name.</p>
      <p>I remember feeling completely trapped in a downwards spiral.</p>
      <p>I remember deciding to leave that very night- and I did.</p>
      <p>I opened my window, looked into the vast, star-filled sky, and looked over the city.</p>
      <p>And I left my father behind- with no one to steal for him. I always wondered what happened to him- did he end up in a prison somewhere? Did he ever think of me, and wish I were there to serve him? Did he end up going insane?</p>
      <p>I couldn't care less, and that's what I decided.</p>
      <p>But I was all alone, at age fifteen. Living on the streets and trying to make things work out- like my mother always said it would.</p>
      <p>Well, that part was partially true. But it never was the way I expected. Because I had to do things I never thought I'd do, and I had to sink to the lowest to get anywhere in life.</p>
      <p>I survived by the 'art' my father had taught me.</p>
      <p>I improved greatly, to be honest.</p>
      <p>Soon I could even break into a museum and take something-like a jewel- and almost never be found.</p>
      <p>It was a gift, at least, that's what I always thought.</p>
      <p>But I did eventually get found- arrested by the police.</p>
      <p>But I broke out of prison- because it would take more than that to stop me.</p>
      <p>I had escaped more than iron bars before.</p>
      <p>My life took a shocking turn when the government called for me- and apparently not for imprisonment.</p>
      <p>They wanted to use my talent for their work.</p>
      <p>Well, I couldn't say no. But I wasn't extremely faithful in it…</p>
      <p>They didn't trust me at first, and rightfully so, and always had me closely watched; and a detonator attached to my wrist. It was fair.</p>
      <p>And I took it as fair.</p>
      <p>But I still snuck in some information that was solely for my purposes.</p>
      <p>Because I never moved on from jewel thieving.</p>
      <p>I guess I was as bad as my father.</p>
      <p>Possibly worse, but I never made others do my work for me. Because that was my own business.</p>
      <p>Eventually, GUN took me into their agency. Probably because they were stricter on their jobs. Probably because I was out of hand.</p>
      <p>Didn't help much.</p>
      <p>But I work with Shadow that way, and I suppose he's one of the ones who sees me clearly. Beyond what I play as myself.</p>
      <p>But that's a whole other story…</p>
      <p>And you can be the judge of this one.</p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>To be honest, I regret the way this was written. I probably would have elaborated more nowadays, but I suppose its narrative voice is fine...<br/>Yeah, I regret that. But I don't currently have plans for rewriting this. Sorry.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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